Anti-toll protest hits eight cities in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jan 27: Political activists vandalised toll posts in at least eight cities across Maharashtra between Sunday night and early Monday morning, an officer here said.

"There are reports of attacks on various toll posts in the state and some of the attackers were also arrested," the officer said.

The toll posts attacked are in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Aurangabad, Sangli and Nagpur. On Monday afternoon, news of plaza being vandalised also came from Vashi in Mumbai.

The attacks were carried out allegedly by Mahararashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena activists.

The agitation is believed to have started after MNS chief Raj Thackeray, at a function in Navi Mumbai Sunday, urged the people to refuse paying toll.

"Don't pay toll, If they stop you then oppose them, Doesn't matter if there are long traffic jams," Thackeray said.

Taking a cue from the speech, MNS activists swooped on toll posts in different parts of the state since early this morning, vandalising and stopping the toll collection.

In Pune, at least six rampaging activists were arrested, while the police rushed additional security to other toll posts.

In view of the strong anti-toll sentiments among the masses, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had assured last week that the toll collection issue would be reviewed and a new policy would be announced soon.

His comments came in the wake of the violent anti-toll agitation that engulfed Kolhapur and surrounding areas a fortnight ago which elicited widespread support elsewhere in the state.